Higher inflation, Trump tax-and-spend boom sends investors looking for Fed clues Lull in data forces Wall Street take fresh stock of U.S. economyAfter two weeks of inflation scares and stormy U.S. stock markets, Wall Street can catch its breath. But make no mistake: investors are still plenty anxious.

This might be the time when you can finally get quality stocks on sale Investors who’ve been sitting on the sidelines may want to make small, regular investmentsInvestors who’ve been sitting on the sidelines may want to make small, regular investments. By Phil van Doorn.

Fed’s Evans sees ‘hint’ of building inflation pressures in latest data Dovish Chicago Fed President still wants to hold off raising interest rates until ‘midyear or so’Chicago Fed President Charles Evans said Wednesday he sees ‘a hint’ of building inflation pressures but still wants to hold off on raising rates until “midyear or so.”

Fed’s Bullard tries to calm market’s inflation fears St. Louis Fed President says strong labor market doesn’t mean a spike in inflation is around the cornerSt. Louis Fed President James Bullard said Tuesday the continued strong U.S. labor market performance is unlikely to translate into “meaningfully higher inflation.”

Ray Dalio: Cash on the sidelines will pour in to stem the bleeding in this marketRay Dalio runs Bridgewater Associates, the world’s biggest hedge fund, and he has a message for those freaking out about the recent selloff: Relax... for now.

Cracks surface in the bull trend, S&P 500 pulls in from uncharted territory Focus: 10-year yield tags 45-month high, Apple retests major support, Intel takes flight, Latin American and TaiwanU.S. stocks are on the defensive, for a change, as an unusually strong month of January nears a conclusion. Against this backdrop, the big three U.S. benchmarks — S&P 500, Dow industrials and Nasdaq Composite — have dropped within view of near-term support, and the retests are worth tracking ahead of the Federal Reserve’s policy directive

Shopping while driving is getting a lot easier — and easier to track Commuters are killing time with a new generation of dashboard devicesCommuters are killing time with a new generation of dashboard devices.

Fed’s Dudley worried central bank may have to ‘press harder on brakes’ in next few years Financial conditions are easier than when central bank started tightening, New York Fed president saysNew York Fed President William Dudley says Thursday he’s worried the Fed may have to “press harder on the brakes” at some point over the next year years.

Major stock indexes close at records ahead of earnings Russell 2000 joins main benchmarks to trade at all-time highU.S. stock benchmarks close at records on Thursday, a day after the S&P 500 and Nasdaq suffered the first down day of the year on anxieties about appetite for Treasurys from the world’s second-largest economy, China

Marijuana stocks slammed for a second straight dayMarijuana-related stocks fell again Friday, extending their prior-session losses after the U.S. Justice Department overturned an Obama-era protection for states that have legalized the plant. The news put the brakes on a strong rally early in the week that was driven by the start of marijuana sales in California after voters approved recreational use for adults. Nevada-based Cannabis Sativa Inc. , which is active in the research, development and licensing of marijuana products, slid another 16%. Colarado-based farmer GrowGeneration Corp. fell 3%. Toronto-based medical marijuana distributor Supreme Cannabis Co. Inc. fell another 2%. Horizons Marijuana Life Sciences Index , which started trading on the Toronto stock exchange last month and tracks more than 20 marijuana-related companies in North America, was down 1%. Ontario-based rival Canopy Growth Corp. bucked the trend to rise about 2%, after it said it will not conduct business in any jurisdiction The S&P 500 was up 0.3%.

Should states have a role in climate policy? Two experts weigh inProponents say state action is needed to offset the effects of federal policy reversals. Critics say it’s an overreach and won’t be effective.

Fed decision and Janet Yellen press conference – live blog and videoThe Federal Reserve makes its interest rate decision and also releases new versions of its dot plot and economic projections, and Chairwoman Janet Yellen will address the media afterwards. Follow along as MarketWatch's Steve Goldstein and Rex Nutting live-blog the action and watch the video of the press conference.

U.S. businesses still growing rapidly even after tapping brakes in November, ISM finds ISM services index drops to 57.4% in November from 60.1% The service sector is a bellwether for the U.S. economy, employing eight of 10 American workers. And right now the bell is ringing loudly, a pair of ISM indexes show.

Could central bank’s bond buying hamper future growth by giving rise to ‘zombies’? The fraction of corporate bond issuance that does not sport an A-grade credit rating has risen above 40% in 2016, according to the OECDConcerns that quantitative easing could be crimping future growth prospects has been reflected in mounting talk that monetary easing could keep corporate laggards alive with cheap debt.

2-year yield sees biggest monthly climb in a year Treasury prices fall as Senate appears on path to pass tax billTreasury yields rose on Thursday after Senate Republicans made strides toward passing their tax bill, which is expected to be put to a vote by the end of this week.

Fed’s Kashkari suggests he may dissent again in December Minneapolis Fed president sees no need to ‘tap on the brakes’Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari, who has dissented on the two rate hikes this year, on Wednesday signaled he may oppose a December interest rate hike

Strategist who waved caution flag on bitcoin now says all is green againFundstrat strategist Tom Lee earlier this month tapped the brakes on his bold bitcoin outlook, saying its price tag had gotten way ahead of the fundamentals. Now, he’s changed his tune.

Why the yield curve may invert even if the Fed sees inflation pick up October’s inflation report may prove to be a nonevent to the bond market as the central bank cranks rates higherThe so-called yield curve has steadily flattened amid higher rate expectations and a backdrop of lackluster inflation, unsettling market participants who feel the Treasurys market is only a few steps away from an even more ominous development: An inverted curve, widely considered a precursor to a recession.

Warren Buffett’s favorite market metric suggests investors are ‘playing with fire’ ‘If you stick your head in the sand and pretend that this isn’t anything to be concerned about, you aren’t going to like what comes next.’The Oracle of Omaha once described his favorite market indicator as “the best single measure of where valuations stand at any given moment” and that when the metric exceeds certain levels, like back in 1999, “you are playing with fire.”

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